Ryan Grubb says Alabama has to cut first-quarter ‘shenanigans’ to beat Indiana
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It hasn’t been every game this season, but there have been spots where Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb felt like the Crimson Tide weren’t ready to begin games.
Alabama faces Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1, with a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals on the line. At a media availability on Saturday, Grubb told reporters the Tide need one of their better first quarters to have any chance against the top seed in the field.
“We’ve got to stop doing first-quarter shenanigans, waiting to get the run game going in the second or third quarter,” Grubb said. “We’re capable of doing it earlier in the game. We’ve got good enough players. The scheme is there. We’ve just got to execute earlier in the football game.”
Alabama trailed Oklahoma 10-0 at the end of the first quarter in their first-round CFP matchup on Dec. 19. Alabama spotted Georgia a 7-0 lead in the SEC Championship Game and never recovered. OU had a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes in the first meeting with the Tide. And the 3-0 first-quarter edge Alabama had over LSU on Nov. 8 featured just 2 first downs from the Tide offense.
“It’s not been the case all year, but (in) some critical games it didn’t feel like we were ready for the physical strain early on,” Grubb said. “The guys know that. They’re up for the challenge. I think we’ll see a different football team in the first quarter of the Rose Bowl.”
The Tide meet the Hoosiers on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET. Indiana is a 7-point favorite, per the latest odds from BetMGM.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
